Pick over lentils for the occasional bits of debris, then wash them in several changes of clean water. In a very large saucepan or stockpot, sauté the onion in the butter or oil over medium heat until golden and translucent. Add the lentils, rice, turmeric and all the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, simmering until lentils and rice are tender, 30 – 40 minutes. Cooking length also ensures that the turmeric will loose its initial raw, medicinal flavor.

After much fiddling with complex flavors, a uniquebowl of restoration and, finally, relaxation.

This post is being submitted to Sra of When My Soup Came Alive, hosting the February AFAM theme of Pomegranate for Maheswari of Beyond the Usual, the creator of the monthly event. Sra was gracious enough to accept my very late entry long after the event had closed. Thank you, Sra!

This looks fascinating - I am going through a pomegranate phase - well I have one in the fridge I keep meaning to use and I see pomegranates everywhere - was looking at condensed (?) pomegranate juice today - could that be used for this soup?

I sent sra the same soup but with beet added, so it's red!:D Loved the taste, great entry Susan. Did you see that post of mine? It's in the Feb archive at FH on the sidebar, check it out!:)I got the 250ml bottle of "Kewra water" y'day, it smells divine. Got to cook something Mughlai after I come back from the break!:)

Hi, Suganya – Persian limes are the typical limes Americans buy in their markets. Sorry to have added an element of confusion, as that was not my intention. If anything, I wanted to distinguish them from keffir and key limes, knowing that global cooks do not necessarily revolve around the U.S. Any of these limes would work in this recipe, though key lime is sweeter. I have no working knowledge of the keffir; would that I did. : (--Sra – This was novel to me, too, and I laughed like heck (ok, hell) over my intro, as well. Boy, do I hate to waste food! Thanks for allowing the very late entry.--Thank you, Rosa. I wasn’t sure about this recipe, but it did work out. Scott ate nearly all of it, and he is a less adventurous eater than I am.--Hi, Swati! It was new to me, too. Persian food is very different than other Middle-Eastern and Indian cuisines, the ones that, right now, I am more familiar with.--Johanna – It really *was* fascinating. I tried like mad to score a fresh pomegranate for a completely different recipe, but there were NONE in my markets as they had been some weeks ago. Yes, condensed juice (known as molasses) can be used in place of the juice, but given its concentration, you would need less. --Asha – I was surprised this was more green and brown than red, but I think the lentils, parsley, scallions and mint had a lot to do with it. I look forward to learning more about your Mughlai recipe.--Hi, Susan! The flavors are intriguing, but very different, more outré than what I expected, and this coming from me, a very broad-minded American palate. Persian limes, the variety of typical limes found in the States, as opposed to key and keffir limes, are what I used in this recipe.--Ann – Thank you. I had tried to make aloo anardana, an Indian recipe for spiced potatoes. Opting for a recipe that was heavy on the pomegranate seeds to qualify for an event, I did not choose a dish from a respected Indian blogger -- fatal results. I *hated* to have to throw out a pound of perfect baby Red Bliss potatoes. This is the first time I really understand the necessity of tempering spices. The recipe I used did not require tempering.--Thanks, Simona. I have yet to have a kitchen that I can situate the garbage under a cabinet, but you do get the idea. : ) The flavors are very different from what we expect in European and American cuisines, but very much worth considering.

Oh I'm sorry that the first recipe with dried pomegranateseeds didn't turn out well. Now you've gotten me curious about these seeds, I wonder if I can find them here.

You Persian soup sounds interesting. I will have to ask my Persian friends (although they are Iranian, they identify themselves as Persian, long story). I've had many delicious Persian meals, one fav is with eggplant. I should try to get the recipe.

The idea of playing the lentils against the pomegranite seeds and the lime sounds terrific. It's interesting that you felt it was a little too much. I think I'll talk to a Persian friend of mine and ask her if she's made anything close to this.

Hi, Nora. I will try another dish w/ the dried seeds at some point. I won’t be defeated forever. ; )

Persian food doesn’t get nearly the press that other Middle Eastern cuisines do. Pity. It is quite unique. No surprise that your Iranian friends consider themselves Persian, particularly since Iran was known as Persia until the 30s. --Nanditha – Someday I would like to get rid of clocks the same way I stopped wearing a watch, although I think I would burn the house down when I bake a cake. ; )--Thanks, Lisa. As you know by now, I have posted a new soup recipe for your current event.--Thanks, Kelly-Jane. Slow food puts you in an entirely different mood. I have two crock pots which I never use. I’ll bet they make the best soups, stews and sauces.--Lucy – I must have made it seem like it wasn’t worth the effort save the texture, but it was. My only regret was that I didn’t use pomegranate molasses instead of the juice. It needed the rich tang of the molasses; that’s why I had to double the juice amount, then some lime juice on top of that.--Thank you, Richa. It was a most unusual soup.--Hi, Toni. I used pomegranate juice rather than the seeds. If anything, it wasn’t enough tang for me, a little too sweet, even though I used twice the juice. Adding the lime made it just right, but I still wasn’t sure if my husband would be keen for it. He was.--Thanks, Sagari. Hearty is a perfect description of it.

Susan, lovie ~ So what were you going to do with the dried pomegranate seeds? I love that you use so much pomegranate juice in this recipe (and one may as well use Pom since pomegranates are not available all year long). I love this soup and may replace some of the juice with pomegranate molasses. I have a great book on Persian cuisine called "The Persian Kitchen" by Neda Afrashi...I hope it isn't too long before we can borrow each other's books and cook together!

Welcome, Katy! I purchased these in Whole Foods. If you come across it ground (called anardana), it is easier to use rather than grinding it yourself. Thanks for visiting!--Hi, Shaun. I was attempting to make aloo anardana, an Indian pan-fried potato dish.

This soup recipe really needed the extra pomegranate juice; I did not think it was excessive at all. I would also use the molasses next time I make it, a great idea. I have "In a Persian Kitchen" by Maideh Mazda. We can compare and contrast! ; ) It would be such fun to cook together!

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